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Saturday, June 28, 2014

Do the Dancers Go Before the Crocodile God or After?

Ok, over the last few weeks I've offered up all the conference and panel insights and suggestions I have, so today, I can only offer you a scene from Magic of the Nile wherein the main character Tyema, High Priestess of Sobek from a rural province, is in Thebes. She's participating in a meeting where they're planning a con - I mean a one day festival with parade! - to honor the Crocodile God. She'll be donating a special animal to the local temple at the god's request. The priests from the temple in Thebes aren't any too happy. (Edekh is Chief Scribe to Pharaoh.)

The door
across the room, which only Pharaoh himself could use, opened and Nat-re-Akhte
entered the chamber, saying as he crossed the gilded threshold, “No need to
genuflect, this isn’t a formal audience.” Today he wore no crown but had the
golden uraeus on his brow, held in place by a golden circlet. He carried the blue-and-gold
crook and flail of his rank, ritually positioned across his chest.

Tyema stood aside as Nat-re-Akhte walked
past her to his chair, which was a golden marvel, depicting intricate scenes of
himself with various gods that were far too detailed for her to fully absorb
in one glance. The chair rested on intricately carved lion paws, and was set on
a slightly raised dais at the head of the gleaming wooden table. The ever
present fan bearers took up station behind Pharaoh and Edekh walked to a place
at his right hand.

“You may be seated,” Pharaoh said,
placing the crook and flail on the table in front of him. “Which day is going
to be the most propitious for this ceremony?” He gave Tyema a conspiratorial
smile. “My zookeeper tells me the beast has already devoured all the fish in
his pond and they’ve had to restock.”

“I’ve cast the omens, Great One, and
the day after tomorrow is the ideal date for the new ruler of the bask to be presented
to the people of Thebes and installed at our temple,” said the High Priest,
displaying no hesitation.

Pharaoh nodded and Edekh made a
note. Tyema sat back in her chair as the men discussed the arrangements for the
procession. The city officials were also silent for the most part, apparently
in the meeting to receive instructions, not to make suggestions. She had no
opinion about the parade, the local Sobek priests knew their own city and how
to organize things here. Perhaps she would have put the second troupe of
dancing girls before the sacred image of Sobek, not after as they were going to
do, but Tyema had no feeling it mattered to the Crocodile God, so she only
nodded when Pharaoh courteously asked her opinion.

The high priest continued his
rundown of the sequence of events. “And when we arrive at the temple, I’ll
greet you with the hymn of the seventh hour—”

“After I’ve sung the hymn of the
Abundant Nile,” Tyema said. She felt a tightening in her gut, sure now they
would be in opposition. He’d rather I
played no part in the day’s ceremonies. He probably wishes I’d just sent the
crocodile with only old Hotepre for escort. Well, for that matter, so do I, but
the Great One wanted it otherwise.

The older priest cleared his throat
for a moment, blinking. Clearly he wasn’t used to being interrupted. “No need
for you to exert yourself, I’m sure. It’s one of the older, less well known hymns after all. You can sing a brief blessing on the bask at
the end of the ceremonies, if you wish. Now then, as I was saying—”

“The Great One Sobek particularly
enjoys the ‘Abundant Nile’, since it praises his efforts to keep the life
giving waters flowing freely,” Tyema said, cutting across his words, her voice
clear. “As he is sending his crocodile to you, personally selected by him, we
need to thank him appropriately.”

The men from the Theban temple
gawked at her. Color becoming even hotter in his gaunt cheeks, the high priest
blew out a breath. “My dear girl, we’re duly conscious of the honor the Great
One does us here at Thebes. I merely see no need to slow the tempo of the
ceremony with additional music. The crowd will naturally wish to see the
crocodile installed in the pond as soon as possible.”

“As High Priestess, it’s my
responsibility to conduct the crocodile to your temple and to make the official
transfer in proper order,” she said, not at all abashed by his dismissive
manner. When it came to anything regarding her duty to Sobek, Tyema felt as if
some measure of his strength ran in her veins, and no condescending old man
from Thebes could silence her. “I’ll sing ‘Abundant Nile,’ after which you can
sing whatever you feel is most appropriate to accept the gift of Sobek and then we’ll proceed to the pond. Whether
our audience is one person or ten thousand people, we must honor the Great One
Sobek properly.”

“Duly noted,” Edekh assured him as
the palace scribe by his side made rapid inscriptions on his tablet. The temple
scribe shot a wary look at his superiors, but then scratched some notes as
well.

There was an awkward moment of
silence. Pharaoh raised his hand and gestured in a lazy circular motion at the
priest. “Continue.”

The man opened and closed his mouth
several times before swallowing a sip of wine from the clay goblet his under
priest handed him. “Um, yes, um, at the pond, we’ll open the crate—”

“The child of Sobek doesn’t travel
through Thebes in a crate,” Tyema interrupted.

“You’re not seriously proposing to
have a dangerous Nile crocodile carried loose in the procession, are you?” the old
man spluttered.

“Sobek has given me the gift of
controlling his children of the Nile when circumstances warrant. I’ll ensure
the animal remains calm during the parade through the city, docile until he’s
installed in the pond,” Tyema said.

“I’ve seen this gift or power in
action, exactly as the Lady Tyema indicates,” Pharaoh agreed.

“It would be most exciting,” said
one of the younger priests, enthusiasm causing him to speak boldly, earning
himself a glare from the High Priest. “Imagine the effect on the crowds, the
crocodile on full display, yet posing no danger.”

“Sobek has selected a magnificent
animal to rule over your bask,” Tyema said. “The beast has the rare purple
underbelly. It can only benefit your temple to have the people of Thebes behold
this marvelous creature, not have him hidden away in a crate.”

“Consequences will be on your head
if this goes awry, if the beast causes injury,” the old priest said, his eyes
flashing in anger. He bit his lip and glanced at Pharaoh, seeming to regret his
outburst.

Tyema laid a hand on the collar,
touching the emeralds. “Where’s your faith in Sobek, the god we both serve?”

“Any other concerns?” Pharaoh asked
the high priest, his tone mild.

“No, Great One. I’m satisfied with
the arrangements,” he said, sounding as if he was forcing the words out one by
one.

“I’ll need to inspect the pond,”
Tyema said, tapping her fingers on the table as she mentally reviewed her list
of requirements. “I’m sure all your arrangements are in order, but I can’t
bring Sobek’s gift to you with all the pomp and ceremony, only to find some
problem in front of Pharaoh and the crowds.”

Now she thought the old priest was
going to have a full-on fit, especially as Pharaoh was nodding agreement with
her. “Excellent forethought, Lady Tyema,” the ruler said. “Captain Sahure can
conduct you and your crocodile keeper to the temple tomorrow morning, leaving the
afternoon for any repairs or alterations to be made. On the appointed day, the
palace will provide the usual beer, bread and meat for the afternoon feasting
after the procession in honor of Sobek. Edekh will see to the distribution.” He
rose, signaling the end of the meeting, and swept out of the chamber.

Edekh remained, moving closer to
Tyema as the high priest came around the table at her. Shaking a finger in her
face, the man talked so fast he was spitting. “There’s nothing wrong with my
temple’s pond, girl, and I don’t appreciate your trying to embarrass me in
front of Pharaoh by suggesting there is.”

The priest who’d agreed with Tyema
before put a restraining hand on his elder’s arm. “I don’t think anyone took
her words as carrying intent to insult, sir. The lady is being prudent,
cautious with the Great One’s living gift to us.”

“Sobek gave me the responsibility
for his crocodile and I don’t take it lightly,” Tyema said. “I can’t.”

“Some little nobody from the
country, trying to make a place for herself here, no doubt,” the High Priest
blustered on.

“I’ve no desire to live here in
Thebes. Running my own temple and managing my own concerns keeps me fully
engaged,” Tyema answered, her voice sharp. She leaned toward him. “I speak
directly to the god, to learn his will and desire. Surely you do the same?”

Best Selling Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance author and “SciFi Encounters” columnist for the USA Today Happily Ever After blog, Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything.